Alone
by Kime Tara
Summary: Post-Meteor; Yuffie-centered fic. The first rain after the world was saved.


**Alone**

By Kimetara

One-shot

Disclaimer: FFVII does not belong to me.

          She cried.

          This bright, cheerful girl cried.

          This one, called annoying by many, but the term softened by affection, cried as she stood in the pouring rain.

          She wasn't quite sure why she was crying.

          Maybe because it had all finally sunk in.

          It had been four days since Meteor.

          That was an odd day.

          They had landed the magnificent Highwind, now rendered useless by the most basic need - fuel.  

          The eight of them stepped off.

          Barret and Tifa...they had been there from the beginning.

          Cloud...their respected, admired, but not glorified leader.

          Red...Vincent...Cid, Cait Sith...

          And of course herself.

          _"We did it!  We saved the world!" she whooped, jumping up and down, barely refraining from clapping her hands.  The small mechanical cat copied her actions, as the moogle it rode on did a strange dance._

_          "Well goddamn, I didn't think we'd do it..."  Cid grinned, not even noticing his cigarette was missing._

_          "Yes," Vincent agreed quietly – a rather cryptic statement in her opinion, as there wasn't much for him to agree with.    _

_          Red nodded.  "Seto...father...you'd be proud," he murmured, his tail swishing contentedly._

_          It had been quiet for a moment, and she turned, surprised that the loud Barret hadn't said anything – or Tifa or Cloud, for that matter.  The three had been standing there quietly, seemingly lost in their own thoughts._

_          Barret saw her looking, and scratched his head – a trait all the males picked up from their leader.  "Ya know...I'm as happy and all as the rest of you we won and saved-"_

_          Cid cut him off.  "Aw, quit talking you big teddy bear, just git going and see your daughter already!" he exclaimed loudly, shaking Tifa and Cloud from whatever their minds had been preoccupied with._

_          "Cid's right, Barret."  Tifa smiled gently, standing, as always, slightly behind Cloud.  Cloud nodded, his eyes showing his mind was still elsewhere._

_          "Who're you calling a teddy bear?" Barret demanded, but grinning.  "Yeah, so I'll see ya all around.  And I'd better be seeing you around!" he threatened, before turning and walking away._

_          She felt...something twinge inside at the sight of Barret leaving, but quickly ignored the feeling._

_          "Hey, oh-so-great leader, you've just saved the world!  What are you going to do now?" she mocked, pretending to be holding a microphone to Cloud._

_          Cloud blinked, before an odd expression – a proud sadness – came over his face.  "I'm not sure," he answered honestly._

_          Tifa's hand hovered hesitantly for a moment above Cloud's shoulder, before it dropped to her side; and the brunette closed her eyes to hide the wash of sorrow.  "We'll probably...go searching," Tifa answered quietly, lowly._

_          The girl frowned.  "For what?"_

_          Cloud's lips quirked strangely, and his face averted away toward the sky.  It was a bright day, but the clouds were arranged in an unusual pattern – almost like scales across the sky._

_          "It's going to rain in a few days," Cloud spoke, not answering her question.  "We had better go find the nearest town."_

_          "Not I," Vincent's voice flowed smoothly, carrying, as always, a sense of deep grief.  "My task has been accomplished; I shall now depart from this group."_

_          "Yeah, I gotta go with Vince on this one – I'm heading straight to Rocket Town," Cid added.  "And where the @#$% is my cigarette?!"_

_          Red stepped up.  "I believe I have been away from Cosmo Canyon long enough.  It is my heritage and duty to protect it, and I should be going back as soon as possible."  Red's ear twitched.  "Now, to get to the point."_

_          The twinge grew larger, so much she was unable to even tease Cid about Shera._

_          "I see..." Tifa spoke softly.  "Well...good-bye then, Cid, Vincent, Red..."  She stopped, then smiled sadly.  "Try to stay in touch," the martial artist requested wistfully, before giving them each a hug – Cid's rather rough, Vincent's very awkward, and Red's slightly tearful._

_          "Don't cry, Tifa," Red pleaded, suddenly going from the guardian of Cosmo Canyon to a 16 year-old friend._

_          "I'll try," Tifa promised, the tears still trailing silently from her eyes.  But she wiped them away, and when she straitened, the only signs were slightly reddened eyes._

_          Cloud walked forward.  The small circle grew quiet.  "Well..." he started, then shook his head.  "This wouldn't have been possible without you all, and...no matter what happens, you know you can count on me," he finished, at a loss for words._

_          "Yeah, ditto that kid," Cid agreed.  "Now let's skip all the mushy stuff – not like we're never going to see each other again!"  He spoke optimistically, but the whole group knew – chance were, they wouldn't be seeing each other often._

_          "You guys," Cait Sith spoke up, "I have to go and check on Midgar, so this is goodbye for me too.  And...I'm sorry, for being such a double-crosser earlier."  Cait Sith bowed its heads in an expression of contriteness._

_          "It's alright.  You've more than paid back for it," Cloud reassured the machine._

_          "Maybe...but you'll be sure, this won't be the last you'll hear from me!"  And with an encouraging wave, Cait Sith turned off._

_          Cid shook his head.  "Well...take care of yourself kid.  Try to develop some more sense, eh?"  Cid tapped the side of his head lightly, then grinned._

_          There was another moment of silence.  It was time to separate, but nobody really felt ready to leave._

_          Finally, Cloud turned.  "See you later..."  He walked quickly away, Tifa following after a sad wave._

_          "...yeah.  Bye guys," she said, before turning and hurrying after the blond and brunette._

_          "Bye, you annoying brat!" Cid called cheerfully._

          She hadn't seen them since then.

          She, Tifa, and Cloud were at Mideel.  

          They were going to part ways soon...she to Wutai, Tifa and Cloud to the Temple of Ancients.

          Temple of Ancients...  The girl cried harder.

          For Aeris, the lost one.  

          She didn't know her very well, and often found it exasperating how Aeris never became upset, but she was a good, fun friend, and didn't deserve to die.

          For Tifa, who was left behind.

          Poor Tifa...in truth, she felt closer to Tifa than Aeris.  Tifa actually felt badly now and then, and therefore was much more sympathetic and understanding when she got angry, or occasionally sad.  Tifa was like a sister to her.

          For Cloud, who was incomplete.

          She couldn't understand Cloud.  Sometimes he had better intuition than her, and sometimes he was just a complete dunce.  And how he couldn't see Tifa...  She shook her head.  But he was strong, and brave, and had a strange, childlike optimism you couldn't help but like.

          And for herself.

          She was all alone now...  After this, they'd split up, and only visit occasionally.  What was she to do now?  She'd saved the world...now what was left for her?

          She sniffed.

          Why was she crying now?  She'd known all this even before the final battle...she'd known as she watched the Lifestream stop Meteor...she'd known for the four days after Meteor had disappeared.  Why now?

          Maybe because of the rain.

          She turned her face upwards, feeling the raindrops fall.  It had finally rained, poured actually.  She was soaked from head to toe.

          _*Leviathan...wash away my tears, my pain.  Give me relief and tranquility_,* she prayed to the great water god of Wutai.

          "Hey, what're you doing out here?  You could get sick."  The girl turned toward the voice, blond spikes coming into her vision.

          Cloud was grinning, but as he came closer, his grin faded.  "You've been crying, haven't you?"

          She blinked.  "What the...  How did you guess?"  The rain was supposed to mask her tears.

          "Your eyes are red," Cloud answered gently, before his own eyes grew distant.  "And...I was just thinking..."  He shook his head.  "Well, enough of that.  Come on inside – it wouldn't do for you to get sick so close to Wutai!"

          The girl frowned.  "But...I don't WANT to go to Wutai!" she burst out before she could stop herself.

          Cloud looked surprised.  "Why not?"

          "Because..." she trailed off miserably.  Her pride wouldn't let her admit she'd be lonely.

          Cloud seemed to understand though.  "It's alright," he said awkwardly, putting an arm around her shoulder.  "I'm going to miss you all too."

          This caused her to cry harder.  Cloud simply stood there next to her, occasionally rubbing her back.

          Eventually she calmed down.  "Thanks," she whispered, before growing louder.  "Where the hell did you learn how to comfort women anyway?"  *_You sure messed it up with Tifa and Aeris..._*

          Cloud shrugged and smiled, but then the smile faded.  "Hey...could I ask you for some advice?"

          "Sure!  I knew you'd appreciate me sooner or later," she chirped, regaining her usual bouncyness.

          "Tifa...she's been crying lately too.  But...she won't tell me why, and sometimes..." Cloud swallowed, "sometimes I'll go in her room to talk, and she'll be crying, and I'll just sit there with her and let her cry on me, but when I try to find out what's the matter she'll turn away or..."  Cloud looked at the ground.  "This time she just ran out," he finished quietly.

          The girl felt...odd.  Deflated.  She had thought Cloud had come because he cared about her...but instead he was going after Tifa.

          But that was okay...at least they weren't excluding her.  After all, Cloud had asked for her opinion, right?

          And it was high time _somebody_ clued him in.

          "You really ARE an idiot, Cloud," she answered seriously.  "It's always been as plain as day to everybody else."

          Cloud shrugged his shoulders helplessly, the rain making little effect on his spiky hair.  "I guess I am."

          She had the oddest idea right then.  Maybe...she could bargain.  If she helped Cloud, then she could go with them to the Temple of Ancients and wherever.

          But that'd be too mean.  She sighed.  After traveling with them all, she'd softened up a bit.

          And besides, it wouldn't help.  She'd have to go back to Wutai eventually.  Alone.  There was no way she'd go tail Cloud and Tifa forever, and truth be told, she didn't really want to live with them...just have their company.

          "Tifa likes you a lot, Cloud."

          Cloud tilted his head to the side.  "Yeah?  I like her too."

          "No, I mean..." she stopped, frustrated.  At her age, it was difficult to say the L word.  "I mean...she _really_ likes you."

          "What?  ...oh."  Cloud was quiet.  "Man, that's a problem..."

          "I know it is."  Two heads turned as a brunette slowly walked forward in the rain.  Her hair seemed to shimmer, her eyes oddly bright.

          "Tifa," the two spoke simultaneously.

          Tifa walked forward and stood next to the girl.  Cloud watched her carefully.  

          "That's why...I'm not going to go with you, Cloud."

          Cloud opened his mouth in protest, but then closed it, realizing all he'd do is hurt her more.  "...okay Tifa.  If that's what you want," he murmured, melancholy lacing his voice. 

          "I'm sorry Cloud..."  Tifa turned.  "Yuffie...could I go with you to Wutai?" she asked.

          Yuffie blinked, then grinned.  "Of course!"

          She wouldn't be alone after all.

AN: O_o;;  I don't know what this is, lol.  A jumpstart back into my writing mode?  A try at a new perspective?  Egh.  Well.  This is my first attempt at writing a Yuffie-centered story, so...yeah.  I'm sorry if it sucked.  I'm not sure about the writing style either...but anyway, please drop a review!


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